The Protection Detail
by burningbridges97
Summary: When Ziva and her siblings came to America in hopes of escaping a terrorist cell, they never expected to find love and friendship along the way. And now she's falling for her best friend, all the while knowing that she only has so long to stay in America. Slight crossover with NCIS: Los Angeles. High school fic.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, guys, it's Bridge and this is my first fic! Just a warning: some people who are dead on the show will be alive in this fic, although I might kill them off later... Also, this is a slight crossover with NCIS: LA.**

**Ships: Tony/Ziva, McGee/Abby, Kate/Ari, minor Gibbs/Jenny, Deeks/Kensi, Eric/Nell, and several other minor couples...**

**Thanks for reading. Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, NCIS: LA, or any of the characters.**

* * *

"Boss," Jenny began, "I just got a call from Director Morrow. The Deputy Director of Mossad is requesting a video conference in MTAC."

"What does Mossad want from us?" Franks demanded.

"The Director didn't say, sir."

"Shepard, what have I told you about calling me 'sir'?"

"Right. Sorry, Boss."

"Alright," Franks sighed. "Let's go."

The four agents on Team Franks trekked upstairs, the team leader at the head of the pack, Gibbs and Jenny side-by-side, with Pacci at the rear.

Entering MTAC, they saw Mossad's director, Eli David, on the screen. He was in his mid-forties, the edges of his hair beginning to gray. He wore glasses, a crisp blue shirt and an elaborate off-white suit.

"Director David," NCIS's director, Tom Morrow, began, "I'd like you to meet our Massive Case Response Team. Allow me to introduce agents Michael Franks, Jethro Gibbs, Jennifer Shepard, and Christopher Pacci."

David nodded in greeting. At this point, Franks's team acknowledged the four other agents in the room: Leon Vance, Henrietta Lange, Owen Granger, and Lauren Hunter, the team on the other side of the partition.

"As I was telling Tom, my family has been threatened by a massive international terrorist cell," Eli continued. "Believing that my children would be safer in America, I sent them to DC to stay with my sister-in-law, Nettie. This terrorist cell has been a threat to both Israel and America, and multiple American agencies have been looking to take them down, yours included. Their leader, Saleem Ulman, is originally from Somalia. NCIS and Mossad have been working closely to find and destroy this cell. I now require your teams to take on long-term undercover roles."

"Which would be…?" Franks inquired.

"Teachers at Jefferson High, a new high school in DC," Morrow answered. "You will each be assigned a different role at the school."

"Sir," Gibbs began, addressing David, "the students at this school will not know our true identities?"

"You will be going by your real names to ensure that you respond correctly. However, you are asked not to reveal your occupation to the students."

"That may be a problem," Gibbs continued. "You see, my daughter is going to be a student at Jefferson High, and she and her friends already know who I am and what I do."

"Well, she and her friends should be informed of the situation and know not to tell anyone else. These students are to be trusted?"

"They wouldn't be friends with my daughter if they couldn't be."

* * *

Nettie handed each of them an envelope.

"Here are your schedules," she said as they opened them. "The school just sent them in the mail."

Ziva, Ari, and Tali glanced them over, and Ziva compared hers to her brother's.

"Look, we have Spanish and Calculus together," Ziva pointed out. "Oh, and lunch too!"

"You two will at least have classes with each other," Tali complained. "I will not know _anyone_."

Ziva took her sister's schedule.

"Look, we have Spanish together," she replied, indicating second period.

"Why am I in AP Spanish with seniors?" Tali inquired.

"Because you are fluent in that language, and they are not going to put you in Spanish I with all of the other freshmen."

"Oh," Tali responded, suddenly perkier.

* * *

Ziva found her locker without much trouble. Glancing at the sticky note in her hand, she turned the dial. She tugged on it, attempting to open it. She groaned in frustration when it refused to open. She tried again, and it still did not comply. She kicked it out of anger.

"It's okay to ask for help, you know," the kid beside her said. "Let me." She handed him the paper and he slowly turned the lock. He arrived at the last number, and pulled the locker open.

"Thank you," she replied quietly.

"Don't mention it. Happy to help. I'm Tony, by the way. Tony DiNozzo."

"Ziva David," she responded pithily, placing her bag and sweater in her locker.

"Nice to meet you, Ziva. Are you new here?"

"Isn't everyone new here? I thought they just built this school."

"Oh, they did. But everyone here's from Buchannan High, anyways. They shut that down because the foundation was unstable. But some of us think that it was really because the entire administration and faculty was involved in some sort of drugs/arms trade."

"How do you know that?"

"Feds arrested all the teachers. They tried to hush it up, but things like that get around."

"Then yes, I suppose I am new here."

"Where are you from?"

"Tel Aviv, Israel."

"So is English your first language?"

"No. Hebrew is."

"That's cool. So, what class do you have first?"

"Um… Senior English."

"Hey, me too. You know where that is?"

"No clue. You?"

"Yeah. I took a tour a few weeks ago. I'll show you the way."

"Thank you."

They made their way toward English class.

"So," Tony began, "are you going to college in Israel or staying in America?"

"I had plans to go to an American university. I have been accepted to a few that I like."

"Oh, really? Where?"

"Let me see… there was… Worcester Polytechnic Institute… Hobart University… Ohio State—"

"Ohio State?" Tony inquired. "I'm going there. Already applied early decision. I'm playing basketball there."

"Impressive. You play here, I would presume?"

"Yeah. I run point for our basketball team and quarterback for football. I'm captain of both."

"Let me guess—you're dating the head cheerleader?"

"No way. Head cheerleaders are Breena Slater and Caitlin Todd. They're both far too smart for that. I _did _date two other cheerleaders, though. Jeanne Benoit and EJ Barrett. Things got pretty serious with Jeanne, but she found out that my close friend's dad is a fed. Feds from the same agency had just killed her father."

"What did her father do?"

"Arms dealer."

"That's… terrible…"

"It was. The breakup was… bad…"

"I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for. Anyways, things ended better with EJ. We had more of a friends-with-benefits thing going on. She was insistent that I should find 'the one'. She was a good person. We're sort of still friends, but we're not exactly close."

"Any other ex-girlfriends I should be aware of?"

"Why? Jealous, Ziva?"

"I have barely met you."

"No one can resist the DiNozzo charm."

"Are you avoiding my question?"

"Of course not. Well, there's been a few. Everyone knows about my ex, Brenda, who wrapped her car around a tree soon after she realized I didn't want anything serious with her. Checked into a depression ward. I wasn't the same for a long time after that."

"That is awful. How did you get over that?"

"My friends talked me down. Breena, especially. She's really good at that kind of thing. She helped my friend Kelly past a really hard time she was having. One of her father's friends, a man she considered her uncle, has just died overseas. It was right around the anniversary of her mother's death. Breena stayed with her more than a week until she was positive that she would be okay."

They soon reached English class.

"Wanna sit next to me?"

"Sure," Ziva replied. "So, are you single then?"

"Why? Interested, David?"

Ziva laughed.

"Are you?" she asked again.

"I am."

Ziva glanced around the room. Several people were looking at her, as if trying to place her. She took in the appearances of all the students. Tony put a name to each one.

"That's Breena Slater," Tony began, pointing to the petite blonde in the front row. "There's Kensi Blye," he added, pointing to the tall brunette beside her. "There's Michelle Lee," he continued, indicating the petite Asian girl in the same row as Breena and Kensi. "Beside her is her boyfriend, Jimmy Palmer." He pointed toward the skinny kid with curly brown hair and glasses. "Right in front of us there is Abby Sciuto and Tim McGee. They refuse to admit they're dating, but we all know they are. Back there," he continued, pointing over a row, "are Kyle Davis and Kelly Gibbs." At the sound of their names, the dark-haired boy and brunette girl glanced over. "And lastly, there's EJ Barrett and Gayne Levin."

The girl in front of them, who Tony said was named Abby, turned.

"Hi. You're new, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. My name is Ziva."

"Nice to meet you. Where did you go to school before?"

"In Tel Aviv, Israel. I, um, transferred here with my brother and sister."

"Oh, that's cool. I'm Abby. This is my best friend, Tim. And don't let Tony convince you that we're dating. He's got all kinds of conspiracy theories. He says Callen and Sam have some sort of secret bromance; he even says Kyle is my long-lost brother."

She nodded toward Kyle. Ziva looked between the two.

"You _do _look a _lot _alike," Ziva replied. "Same hair color, same eyes, similar facial features."

"Oh, no, Tony's corrupted you already."

Tim turned to face the others.

"Great, now there's someone else to call me nicknames," he joked. "Hi, Ziva, I'm Tim."

"Nice to meet you, Tim. What classes do the three of you have this semester?"

"I have English, Spanish, lunch, PE/Computers, and Forensics in that order," Abby said.

"Same," Tim repeated.

"I have that, too," Tony replied. "But I'm in Woodshop instead of Computers."

"That's the same schedule as me," Ziva replied.

"Oh, awesome. Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of one another."

At that moment, the teacher came in.

"Settle down, kids, settle down," she began. "My name is Miss. Shepard, and I'm going to be your English teacher."

* * *

**What do you think? Please review! 3, Bridge**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who responded to the first chapter of this story! You guys rock!**

**Anyways, here's chapter 2. Introducing a few more characters. **

**I'll be updating 'Gianna' by Tuesday, for any of you who may be reading that.**

**Please read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or NCIS: LA. All the characters, quotes, and anything recognizable belong to their rightful owners.**

* * *

Tony and Ziva walked to Spanish together. Ari and Tali were already sitting side-by-side.

"That is my brother and my sister," Ziva informed her new friend.

"Your sister seems really young. Are you sure she's supposed to be in AP Spanish? This is a senior class."

"The three of us are all fluent in many languages, including Spanish."

"How many languages do you speak?"

"Including the language of love: ten."

"Hmm…" Tony replied. He glanced around the room. "There's Kensi again. That's Marty Deeks, and Sam Hanna, and G Callen. Over there's Kate Todd. Right there – that's Nell Jones, and beside her is her best friend, Eric Beale."

"Who is that?"

"Paula Cassidy. Beside her is Simon Cade. And _that's _Brent Langer and Phil McCadden."

"Are these all seniors?"

"Except for your sister. How old is she?"

"Fourteen. She is a freshman."

"I'm guessing she's smart."

"Beyond smart."

"What's her name?"

"Her name is Tali."

"That's a pretty name. And your brother? He seems very close in age to you."

"He is ten months older. He is technically my half-brother. His mother left our father when she learned she was pregnant. She had him, and was then caught in a Hamas bombing. He came to live with us. He's truly a great brother."

"And his name?"

"Ari."

The Spanish teacher came into the room.

"Hello, students. My name is Ms. Borin and I'm going to be your Spanish teacher."

She caught Ziva's eye, and winked almost imperceptibly. Ziva knew why, too. Borin was another one of the agents on detail for her and her siblings. She was from one of the five agencies that were on protection detail – NCIS, CGIS, FBI, CIA, and Homeland Security.

* * *

They headed to lunch soon after. Senior lunch was first.

"I sit with the football guys at lunch," Tony began. "You probably don't want to sit with them. I could introduce you to Breena and her friends, or I'm sure Abby would love to sit with you—"

"I will go sit with Abby. Thanks."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you in Woodshop."

"See you then."

Tony returned to a group of his football and basketball teammates and was greeted rather enthusiastically.

Ziva approached Abby's table.

"Hi, Abby," she greeted the dark-haired girl. "Can I sit with you?"

"Oh! Of course! What happened to Tony?"

"He went to sit with the jocks."

"Oh, well. Let me introduce you to everyone else. This is Nell," she said, indicating the petite redhead, "and Eric," she added, pointing to the bespectacled blond boy. "There's Michelle and Jimmy. And, of course, you know Tim."

"Hi," she greeted the others. They smiled kindly in response.

"You're friends with DiNozzo?" Nell inquired.

"I suppose," she replied.

At that moment, Ari entered the lunchroom. Ziva saw one of the cheerleaders wave him over, and he sat across from her.

"You know him?"

"Yes, he's my brother."

"He's eating lunch with Kate. She seemed into him."

"Huh," Ziva muttered. "Interesting."

* * *

They went to Woodshop, which was taught by a man who introduced himself as Gibbs, and Forensics, which was taught by someone called Mr. Pacci.

* * *

Ziva, Ari, and Tali all made it home around 2:30 that day. Ziva turned to Ari.

"So, I saw you with that girl, Kate, earlier. What was that about?"

"Oh, that was nothing," Ari brushed her off. She frowned; he never did that.

"Really?" she inquired. "Because it _definitely _looked like _something_."

"It is none of your business.:

"_Really_? Are you dating her, or—?"

"Shut up."

"Oh, tsk, tsk. I knew it."

"She asked me out. I said yes. Are you happy?"

"Very."

"What about you? You spent a lot of time with that boy, Tony."

"He is not exactly my type."

"He is strong, athletic. He is smart enough to get into decent classes. Why not?"

"He would not be interested in a long-term relationship with me."

"He has before. Another cheerleader, Jeanne."

"He told me about her."

"And his other ex-girlfriend, Wendy."

"Wendy?"

"Yes, Caitlin told me about her. They had been dating since eighth grade. Then, at the beginning of last year, he planned to propose to her. The night before he did, she moved away. She just called to say it was over. He has not seen her since."

"He did not tell me about her."

* * *

The doorbell rang.

Ziva opened the door to find three girls.

"Hi," Abby began, holding up a covered tray, "we brought you a 'Welcome to the Neighborhood' cake."

"Come in," Ziva laughed.

"This is Kate, and that's Kelly."

"Hi," the other girls greeted her.

Ari walked into the kitchen at that moment.

"Caitlin," he said, surprised, "what are you doing here?"

"I came with Kelly and Abby to welcome Ziva to the neighborhood. I didn't know you'd be here."

"Sure she didn't," Kelly whispered to Abby, who grinned.

"Well," Ziva interjected, "Kelly, Abby, and I are going to my room. Ari, you and Kate can take your time…"

The three girls trekked upstairs.

"What's going on between your brother and Kate?" Abby inquired.

"She asked him out," Ziva informed the other girls.

"Ooh, her parents are _not _going to be happy."

"How come?"

"Her mother wants her to marry some perfect, gentlemanly, boring Catholic guy. And your brother, well, he's Jewish and he drives a motorcycle."

"I do not think that her parents should judge him by his religion and his choice of vehicle."

"Me either," Kelly replied. "My dad's cool with most everyone I date. I mean, he's overprotective, and will kill him if I get hurt, but he doesn't care what kind of person he is. Just so long as he's not some drug addict or terrorist. He was completely cool with me dating Kyle."

"You sit with him in English."

"Oh yeah! He's a really sweet guy."

"Kelly's dad said he's your protection detail," Abby began. "Some terrorist cell is after your family? That's terrible."

"Who is your dad, Kelly?"

"Your Woodshop teacher," she replied. "It is so weird having my dad at school. But I like that he's around."

"What do you mean?"

"He used to be a marine. Was deployed all the time. After my mom was killed, I started really appreciating my father. He left the Corps to take care of me, and became a fed. I worry about him all the time, but at least this year he's teaching."

"How many of our teachers are feds?" Abby inquired.

"Well," Ziva began, "there are five agencies there. From Homeland Security there's Victor Sterling and Hannah Meyers. From the FBI there' s Tobias Fornell."

"Did anyone tell you that Fornell married my dad's ex-wife?" Kelly asked. "They have a daughter. She's five. Her name is Emily."

"Well, then. That must be an awkward situation," Ziva replied. "Anyways, there's CGIS agent Abigail Borin. The CIA sent Trent Kort. And NCIS sent eight agents: Leon Vance, Owen Granger, Henrietta Lange, Lauren Hunter, Mike Franks, Jennifer Shepard, Christopher Pacci, and your dad, Jethro Gibbs."

"They sent thirteen operatives to protect three kids who were trained by Mossad? That doesn't seem right. Not that I want you to be unsafe, because I do, just –"

"There are actually three more young Mossad operatives in the school after their own families received threats. Liat Tuvia, Malachi Ben-Gidon, and Michael Rivkin. They were sent over at the end of last year."

"Oh, yeah. Are Malachi and Liat together? Because it certainly seems like it."

"Ari and I always thought so. Of course, they never seemed very emotionally connected to it. It always seemed purely physical for them."

"And speaking of _purely physical," _came Tali's voice from the doorway, "Ari is downstairs sucking some girl's face."

Abby, Ziva, and Kelly grinned at one another and rushed downstairs. In the kitchen, they found Ari and Kate, the latter with her back pressed up against the counter, lips locked with the Ari's. The three girls whipped out their cell phones, snapping photos. Hearing the shutter sound from the phones, Kate and Ari broke apart. The three girls were grinning in the corner of the kitchen.

"Delete those!" Kate exclaimed.

"No way!" Abby laughed.

"Ziva…" Ari warned.

"There is no way I am deleting these photographs so do not even try."

Kate looked back at Ari.

"What's the point? They're gonna hold this over us for the rest of our lives anyways."

Ari shrugged, and continued to kiss her.

"I am going to gag," Ziva announced, leaving the kitchen. Kelly and Abby followed.

* * *

"So," Ziva began, "how many of your friends know that your father is my protection detail?"

"Just me, Abby, Breena, Kate, Tim, Tony, and Kyle."

"You'll have to introduce me to Breena and Kyle. From what Tony told me about Breena she seems really sweet."

"She is. She helped me through a whole lot of problems. Especially my mom's death. Has anyone told you how she died, Ziva?"

Ziva shook her head.

"My father was deployed at the time. Mom witnessed the murder of a marine and we were placed in the protective custody of NCIS. My mother was going to testify against the killer, Pedro Hernandez. However, Hernandez knew my mother was going to end his career as a drug dealer. We were in a car one morning when… Hernandez sniped the NCIS agent on protection detail. The resulting crash killed her. I had lost a lot of blood. A kid was jogging along the street and dialed 911."

"That's terrible," Ziva whispered.

"And you know who that kid was?" Kelly continued.

"Who?"

"It was Kyle. I owe him everything. Without him, I would be dead. I love him for that. And I love him for just being him."

"He sounds amazing," Ziva replied.

"He is," Kelly answered. "After the accident, Dad came straight home. I had mild PTSD and depression. It took me about a year of therapy and meds to be okay."

"You're a strong girl, Kelly."

"Thank you. God, I haven't talked about this in forever. It feels nice."

"What was her name?"

"Shannon. Her name was Shannon."

* * *

**So, what do you think? Please review! Just press that button that's down there somewhere... please...?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm shocked by all the response I've gotten to this story (and my other pieces, 'Gianna' and 'Jump In'. Hint, hint, I'm advertising here...). You're all so kind to me! I'm feeling the love! Anyways, here's the newest update! Hope you guys like it! And for any of you reading 'Gianna', I'll have it up by tomorrow or the next day. Thank you so much for your reviews - they're very much appreciated! Thanks a lot, guys. I mean it! Marry me. All of you. Unless you're stalkers...**

**Disclaimer: Dude, if I owned NCIS or NCIS : LA, would I be writing fanfiction? Actually, yeah, I would, so I could write stuff out of canon... Well, anyways, I don't own NCIS, NCIS:LA or any of their respective characters. They belong to their rightful owner(s). Thanks, bro. **

* * *

"Ziva! There is a boy at the door for you!" Ziva's Aunt Nettie called to her the next morning.

"Who is it?"

"He says his name is Tony!"

Ziva rushed down the stairs, almost colliding with her brother.

"Slow down, Ziva," Ari laughed. "You are going to fall and hurt yourself." She glared at him.

"I will be fine."

"And I thought you said Tony was _just _a friend?"

"_Sheket __bevakesha__._"

Ari just laughed and continued upstairs.

Tony was standing in the kitchen when she got downstairs.

"What are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd give you a ride to school."

"Oh. I do not remember giving you my address."

"I know. Abby told me."

"I am going to have to kill her."

"Don't. I kinda forced it out of her.:

"Let me guess—bribed her with caffeine."

"Maybe," he replied, looking guilty. "Anyways, would you like a ride, or—"

"Oh, sure. Just let me grab my things and straighten my hair."

"Oh, okay." She couldn't help but think she heard a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing. No, nothing's wrong. It's just… I kinda like your hair down. It's becoming. You know—it's wild, like you. Reckless in the most perfect way. Like you're not worried about being a clone of everyone else. You're real. I like that about you."

She felt herself blush. Tony's eyes lit up seeing that he made her smile.

"You ought to grab your things."

She nodded, passing Tali on her way out of the kitchen. The fourteen-year-old watched her sister leave, and leaned in the doorway, staring at Tony.

"Uh, hi," he said.

"Hi," Tali replied, grinning.

"You must be Tali," he continued, trying to make small talk. "Ziva's told me all about you."

"And you must be _Tony_. Ziva told me about _you_."

"Really? And what did she say, exactly?"

Tali smirked and looked him up and down. That moment, Ziva entered the room.

"I am ready." She stopped, looking between Tony and Tali. "Is something going on here?"

"Oh, no, I was just getting to know Tony. Seems nice enough." She looked between Ziva and Tony. "Behave yourselves." With that, Tali departed. Ziva heard her shout to their brother, "Ari, are you going to your girlfriend's house to seduce her with your motorcycle or are you giving me a ride to school?"

"Did she intimidate you?" Ziva asked.

"Very much so," Tony replied. He walked outside with her, opening the passenger side door.

They sat in silence for a while, until Tony pulled up to a coffee shop. He pulled into a drive-in, and ordered himself a coffee and muffin.

"Would you like something, Ziva?"

"Yes, I will take a small regular coffee with milk and sugar." She reached for her wallet, but Tony gently grabbed her hand to stop her.

"I've got it."

"Are you sure? You are already giving me a ride, you do not have to buy me coffee."

"I want to," he replied. He turned to the woman working the register. "How much?"

"8.65."

Tony handed her the money, and accepted the tray and bag he was given.

"Thanks." He handed her one of the cups. She smiled.

"_Toda_," she thanked him, placing a kiss gently on his cheek. He grinned widely and drove off.

* * *

They were walking into school when she decided to ask something that had been bugging her.

"Tony… why did you not tell me about Wendy?" He looked over at her with surprise and sadness badly disguised on his face.

"How do you know about Wendy?"

"Kate told Ari, Ari told me."

"Oh, how are Kate and Ari? Abby told me they were getting busy in your kitchen yesterday."

"Tony…" she warned. He sighed.

"She was my first _serious _girlfriend. It had been four years. I was _sure _that she was the one. Her parents already considered me a part of the family. She intended to apply to OSU so we could be together, and we were already talking about getting married and having children together. She knew I was going to propose to her that night. We'd planned this beautiful dinner – candlelit reservations at the most expensive place in town. And the night before, she called to say it was over. She'd never told me her father had been relocated. She was gone the next morning. I haven't seen her since."

"I am sorry, Tony."

"Nothing to be sorry for. It's not like it was your fault. I didn't tell you because… every single person at this school knows just how much she broke me. I thought that maybe, with you, it could be different. I thought I could make a friend who wouldn't pity me for what happened."

"I do not pity you, Tony," she whispered. "Yes, I feel terrible that this happened to you but I think you need to move on. She is gone, Tony. You cannot change that."

"Thanks. Look, I know we just met, but… you seem very… real. I feel like I can have an actual conversation with you. I actually feel like I can tell you stuff like this. I'd really like you as a friend, because all my life I've just had these basketball and football teammates. They aren't really friends. And sure, I've got people in my life like Abby, Kelly, Kate, and Breena, but they're like my sisters. I'd like to have a decent relationship with someone that is more than that."

"Relationship?"

"Friendship," Tony amended.

"Is that an offer?"

"If you'd like it to be."

"I would like to be your friend."

"Okay. I guess it's settled, then."

"I guess so."

* * *

"We have to tell them sometime," Tim reasoned quietly as he and Abby stood in front of their lockers.

"Why can't we just enjoy things the way that they are – just for now?"

"They're our friends, Abbs. What if Kate and Ari had kept their relationship a secret? Or Kelly and Kyle? Or Jimmy and Michelle?"

Abby sighed.

"Abby… why don't you want anybody to know about us? Are you… I mean, are you _ashamed _of me, or—?"

"No! No, Tim, don't think that! I care about you so much! Trust me: I'm the luckiest girl alive to have you, and I want to be with you forever! I just… I think that having this out in the open is just going to raise the relationship expectations. We'll have people asking us about our first date, our first kiss, whether or not we—"

"Abby, if you aren't ready to go public with this, then I'm perfectly okay with that. If that's what it takes to keep you, then I'll do whatever it takes."

Abby smiled briefly, and then glanced around to see that they were alone. She pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"We'll tell them sometime," she agreed. "I just think that we'll be better off this way. And anyways, the more we bottle up these feelings for each other at school, the more we have to, uh, _talk_ about afterwards."

Tim let a grin grace his face.

"Maybe we shouldn't _ever _tell anyone," he suggested. Abby just laughed.

* * *

"Tali, wait up!" came a call from behind her. She tuned to see a blond freshman from her English class approach her.

"Hey, Luca, what's up?"

"I was just wondering… are you busy on Sunday? I was gonna see a movie and grab some pizza. I just wanted to see if you'd come with."

"Are you asking me out?"

"I, uh, I think so."

"Then the answer is yes."

* * *

"Hey, Ziva," Tony began in Spanish class. "What's your cell phone number? I might want to text you sometime."

Ziva smirked and wrote her number on his palm. She watched him smile.

"What?" she asked, dotting the first vowel in her name.

"In America, writing a number on someone's hand is usually an indication that you're going on a date."

"I thought I already established that you are not my type."

"Eh, keep saying that. You won't be able to resist the DiNozzo charm. Wendy used to say the same thing."

"What was she like?"

"Dark hair, high cheekbones. She was a straight A's band student on honor roll, aspirations to become a music teacher, a loving wife, and the mother of two children named Thomas Anthony and Ellie Catherine DiNozzo."

Ziva nodded. Tony clearly didn't like talking about her. He seemed to have forced himself to forget her and move on, hiding behind the masks and façades of a player, a jock, a womanizer, and a jokester. But Ziva could just see the pain in his eyes. Those green eyes of his spoke volumes. Unfortunately, everyone else was focused on the rest of him – the body, the exterior, and the charming good looks – to actually see past his defense mechanisms.

* * *

"Tali, Ari, are you busy Sunday? I thought we could go see a movie or something together," Ziva suggested.

"Sorry, Ziva, Caitlin and I are going to dinner," Ari replied.

"I am busy," Tali answered shortly.

"Really?" Ziva asked. "And what, exactly, are you 'busy' with?"

"Not a what, a who," Nettie answered, entering the room. Tali glared at her aunt. "Your little sister has a date."

"Aww!" Ziva sighed excitedly.

"What is their name?" Ari inquired.

"His name is Luca and he is in my English class."

"Luca? As in Luca Sciuto?"

"Yes. Why?"

"That is my friend Abby's brother."

"Oh," Tali replied. "Well, I guess that means you and her will be gossiping about Luca and I all the time, then, yes?"

"Oh, _tateleh_, you are mistaken. Abby and I have much more interesting things to discuss than some fourteen-year-olds' little relationship."

"Oh, really? Such as?"

Ziva glanced at Ari, and then leaned closer to her sister to whisper in her ear.

"Oh, gross!"

"That was about me, was it not?" Ari asked.

The girls just looked at each other and broke out into fits of laughter.

* * *

**What do you think? Do you like Tali and Luca together? Any arc ideas? Review, favorite, subscribe, or PM me please! Love you guys!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Have I ever told you guys that I love you? No? Well I do! I'm loving all the favorites and reviews on this story. It's only my first fic! As I believe I've said before, MARRY ME.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, NCIS:LA, or any of their respective characters.**

* * *

Tali straightened her hair as Ziva did her makeup.

"Luca is going to _love _you," Ziva told her.

"I hope so," Tali said quietly. "Ziva?"

"Yes?"

"I am kind of scared. This is… this is my first date."

"It will be okay. Luca seems nice. I do not think you should be scared."

"What was your first date like, Ziva?"

"Well, as you know, it was with Michael. We were sixteen. We just… had dinner together."

"And your first kiss?"

"It was that night."

"Oh my God. I need to brush my teeth again."

"You already brushed them three times! And if you are not ready, I am sure that Luca will respect your wishes. And if he does not, well, Abba told you what to do, right?"

"Go for the groin?"

"Good girl."

"Are you two done in there? I need to brush my teeth!" Ari called to the girls in the bathroom.

* * *

She tucked a final piece of her hair behind her eat, and checked her wallet for money. She tugged on her favorite boots and snuck downstairs.

"Where do you think you're going, Katie?"

Kate swore quietly.

"Out," she answered simply.

"Where, with whom, and when did you suppose you would be back?" her father inquired.

"I am going to dinner with my friend Ari. I will be back by eleven – I promise."

"Alright," he replied. "But if your mother asks, you were at a PG-13 movie with a _female _friend who drives a station wagon."

"Thank you, Daddy!" she said, kissing her more lenient parent's check. "I'll see you at eleven!"

"Behave yourself, sweetheart. No drugs."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Daddy."

Ari met her on his motorcycle at the end of her driveway.

"Hello, Neshomeleh," he greeted her.

"Remind me what that means again," she requested, taking the helmet from his outstretched hand and climbing on the bike.

"_Sweetheart,_" he translated. She giggled uncharacteristically, wrapping her arms around him as they drove off on his bike.

* * *

Ziva sat at home alone. Her siblings both had dates, as did her aunt. Ziva couldn't help but wonder what Tali and Ari were going – scratch that, she was curious about what _Tali _was doing. Ari and Kate, on the other hand – she just didn't want to know.

That was when her phone rang. She smiled, recognizing the number. She pushed the 'accept' button and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello, Tony."

"Hey, Zi. What's up?"

"I am very bored and alone. Tali, Ari, _and _my aunt are all out on dates, and I am _here _with homework from AP Calculus."

"That sucks. Wanna talk?"

"It is better than everything else I have been doing."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Congratulations. I rate you above _homework_."

"Better than most people rate me. Except the women people. To the women people I am a ten."

Ziva laughed.

"Not quite."

"What makes me _not _a ten?"

"Maybe I'm just not attracted to you."

"Who could resist _this_?"

"Well, there's me, Abby, Kate, Kelly, Breena, Kensi, Nell, Michelle, Paula—"

"Okay, okay, I get it. You're all smart, feisty, the daughters of marines and/or Mossad."

"Which of these apply to me?"

"I'm gonna say all of them, except the one about being a marine brat. Unless you aren't telling me something—"

"There are plenty of things I am not telling you. And I am not _going _to tell you most of them."

"What _are _you going to tell me?"

"I did not have my first kiss until I was sixteen."

Tony laughed.

"I was in second grade—no, wait, first grade. Second grade was when… never mind."

"What was her name?"

"Sandra Kelsey. We went to summer camp together. How about you?"

"I was sixteen. It was my first date, and his name was Michael Rivkin."

"I know him. Are you still friends?"

"No. We broke up. It wasn't good."

Their conversation continued on for several hours. It was about nine thirty when Tali got home.

"I have to go. My sister just got home. I will see you tomorrow."

"Okay. I really liked talking to you. I'll see you then."

"Goodnight, Tony."

"'Night, Zi."

* * *

Tali and Luca stood on the doorstep.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," Luca began.

"Me too. We should do that again sometime."

"I'd like that."

They stood in silence for a minute, just staring at each other.

"Well, I ought to get inside," Tali said, breaking the silence.

"Oh, of course. Well, I'll, uh, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Goodnight, Luca."

"Goodnight, Tali."

She smiled softly, and then entered the house. Luca stood there on the doorstep for a second, slightly disappointed. He turned to walk away when he heard the door behind him open.

"Oh, screw it," Tali murmured, taking his face in her hands and pressing her lips briefly to his. They pulled away and grinned at one another for a second.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispered.

* * *

Back inside, Tali leaned up against the door, grinning widely. Ziva was in the kitchen, watching her. She smiled, seeing her sister's happiness.

"I am guessing it went well."

Tali nodded.

"Did you kiss?"

Tali just grinned.

"So," the younger of the two started, "what did _you _do tonight?"

"I talked with Tony on the phone."

"Oh, really? What did you _talk _about, per se?"

"For a fourteen-year-old, you have a _very _dirty mind."

"Eh, it comes from growing up with you and Ari."

* * *

"Are you alright, Kyle?" Kelly asked. "You seem a bit… distracted."

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "Just something my parents said earlier."

"What is it? You can tell me _anything_, Kyle. If you're not ready to talk about it, I understand, but know that I'm here for you, whatever the problem may be."

"Mom said that… mom said I had a sister. She was born ten months before me. My parents were both out of work at the time and couldn't take care of her, so they put her up for adoption. They didn't name her so I don't know who to look for. But I know I want to meet her."

"Wow. So are you trying to look for her?"

"Of course I'll _try_. But I don't know how much progress I'll make."

"Well, if you need help, or if you ever need to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks, Kels."

* * *

Ziva finished her morning jog early, and showered quickly. She saw a car pull up to the house. Looking outside, she saw that it was Abby, Tim, and Luca.

"Tali! Your boyfriend is here!" Ziva called to her sister, seeing Luca jump out of the car.

Tali pulled her sweater over her shoulders and rushed downstairs. She kissed her aunt on the cheek and ran out the door to meet Luca.

Ziva finished brushing her teeth as a sleep-deprived Ari came sauntering out of his room.

"Hey, I did not see you last night," Ziva teased. "You were out pretty late. Should I be concerned?"

"Why would you be concerned?" he asked, not catching on. He ran a hand sleepily through his hair.

"Am I going to be an aunt already?"

Ari smiled and let his hand drop back to his side.

"I do not think you need to worry about that quite yet. Do I need to worry about you and Tony?"

"_Sheket bevakesha," _she said. "Tony and I are friends. Nothing more."

"Keep telling yourself that."

The phone in the living room rang. Ziva ran downstairs as Nettie answered it.

"_Shalom," _Nettie answered the phone. "_Ken._" There was a pause. "_Elohim adirim._" Nettie paused again. "_Yihyeh beseder. Ken. _We will be there. _Shalom_, Eli."

Nettie hung up the phone and leaned her forehead against the wall.

"Dodah Nettie?" Ziva asked, coming up behind her aunt.

"_Ken, tateleh_?" Nettie questioned, glancing up at her niece with teary eyes.

"Who?"

Nettie sighed.

"Rivka."

Ziva gasped.

"No."

"I am sorry, _tateleh_."

"No, no, not Ima," Ziva begged, tears falling. "What happened?"

"Hamas bombing."

"No, no, no! How could Abba let this happen? He did not even protect her!"

"_Tateleh, _please. Eli has done everything he can. We are going to Israel for her funeral. Tomorrow."

"And that is it?" she asked, her voice filled with anger and sadness. "We spend a day in Israel, and just like that, I never see my mother again?"

"I am sorry, Ziva, but there is nothing I can do."

Ari came downstairs.

"What is going on?"

"Ima is dead!" Ziva cried. Ari's face filled with horror and he pulled her into his arms.

"I will be the one to tell Tali," he whispered. "It will be alright. Hush, Ziva. Crying will not bring her back."

"I know, Ari, I know."

* * *

"I will see you in English, _ahava_," Tali bid Luca. Ari caught up with her in the hall.

"Tali, _tateleh_, I need to tell you something."

"Ari, what is wrong?"

"Sit down," he said, guiding her to the bench in the courtyard nearby.

"Are you okay? Is it Ziva? DodahNettie?"

"They are fine."

"What is it?"

"Tali, there was a bombing in Tel Aviv. Ima was caught in it. She is dead."

"No," Tali whispered. "No, this cannot be happening."

"I know, _tateleh, _I know."

Ari just held her close as she sobbed.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that was dark... Any ideas on what happens next? Favorite lines? Arc ideas? Drop a review, or PM me! Thanks, guys!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Look at me and all my updating! Gosh, that's 5 chapters just since, what, Friday? Awesome, right? Read and review please! This chapter we'll see a little into Pacci's personal life**.

**Disclaimer: All I own is the first two seasons on DVD - and that doesn't count. Cuz if it did, would I be living somewhere where the temperature actually drops below zero? Nope. I'd be living it up somewhere warm... where they have lots of mint chocolate chip ice cream...**

* * *

"Ari, what's going on?" Kate asked. Ari sighed.

"My stepmother was just killed in a Hamas bombing."

"That's terrible. Is there anything I can do?"

"I do not think so. Just by being there you are doing the best you can."

"Are you going to go to the funeral or memorial?"

"Yes. It is in Israel tomorrow. Tali, Ziva, Aunt Nettie, some agent and I are all headed there tonight. Private jet from my father."

"I wish I could be with you. Just in case you get tired of being the shoulder cried upon."

"I would love for you to come, but I do not think that your parents would approve."

"I'll tell them I'm there for Ziva. Let me call them, okay? I think they'll understand."

* * *

The moment Tony saw Ziva's red eyes, concern flashed in his own.

"Zi, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am fine."

"No, you're not. Talk to me. What is it?"

"Tony, my mother was just killed."

"That's terrible. I'm so sorry, Ziva. I know how I felt when my mom passed away. Is there anything I can do?"

"Are you busy tonight and tomorrow?"

"No. Why?"

"Would your father be okay with you flying to Israel for her funeral with me and my family?"

"He'll be fine with it. It's not like he's around anyways. I'll do anything I can to help you through this."

"Just being there for me – that is enough."

* * *

Luca held her tight when she told him about her mother's death.

"What can I do?" he asked.

"I do not think that there is a whole lot you _can _do."

"I would go to her funeral with you if I could."

"Would your parents be okay with you taking a day off to fly to Israel?"

"I can try."

She kissed him softly on the lips.

"Thank you, Luca," she whispered.

"Always, Tali."

* * *

She was slightly surprised to find Tony plop down beside her at lunch.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd sit with my favorite Israeli," he replied.

"Liat is not here."

"Ha. Cute."

"_Always_," was her snarky remark.

"How you holdin' up?"

"Good," she replied with a shred of confidence. "In Mossad, death is considered a huge part of life. You cope and move on. You allow yourself to mourn, and you let your guard down. In Mossad, letting your guard down can be _the _most fatal mistake."

"You're not at Mossad anymore, Ziva. It's okay to be sad."

"Thanks," she mustered.

Abby reached across the table to touch the other girl's hand.

"We're here for you, okay?"

Tim, Tony, Eric, Nell, Jimmy and Michelle all nodded.

* * *

"You packing?" Charlotte asked from the doorway of her and Chris's room.

"Why do you ask? I always carry my SIG," Pacci joked.

"Not what I meant, and you know it."

He tossed a t-shirt into his bag.

"Got tasked with escorting David's family back to Israel for their mom's funeral."

"That's terrible."

"Yeah, and I'm sure they've heard that from all their friends already today."

"And you only just got orders?"

"Yeah. Plane leaves in a couple hours. I need to get going. I love you, Char."

"Stay safe, Chris."

"_Always_."

* * *

"Caitlin, you behave yourself. Call us when you land, before you go to bed, first thing in the morning—"

"I understand, Mom."

"You _stay safe_. Do not wander from an adult at _any _time."

"I get it. I'll have numerous Mossad officers and an NCIS agent looking out for me. I will be fine. Special Agent Pacci is a very capable agent. We will be fine."

* * *

"Luca, you'll behave yourself and stay safe, won't you?"

"I always do, Dad."

"Remember, your mother and I are far too young to be grandparents—"

"Dad," Luca warned, "we've already _had _this conversation. I _definitely _do not need to hear it again."

"Alright." Abby, Mr. & Mrs. Sciuto all bid him goodbye as he boarded the plane.

* * *

"So…." Kate cut into the silence, "I heard that new kid, Marty Deeks, has a thing for Kensi."

"Really?" Ziva asked. "I never knew."

"Oh, yeah, have you _seen _the way he looks at her?"

"And she seems to do a fair deal of looking _back_," Ari added.

"Do you know what they are talking about?" Tali whispered to Luca

"No idea," he replied.

"Want to make out?"

"Definitely."

Hearing this conversation, Tony turned to the youngest couple on the plane.

"Oh, God, get a room!"

"I really do not need to match my baby sister making out with her boyfriend," Ari groaned.

"And it's no picnic watching my friends' little siblings lip-lock. Thank God you two don't have braces that can get caught on each other. That would make this the most awkward plane ride ever," Kate added, snuggling closer to Ari.

"And _we're _the ones that need to get a room?" Luca accused.

"It's different when you're older," Ari mused.

"How!" Luca practically shouted.

Ari just looked at Kate and smirked.

Nettie and Pacci watched on in amusement.

"Ah, young love," Nettie laughed.

* * *

Several cars arrived to escort them as they arrived at the airport. The nine of them squeezed into the first car, and Nettie drove, which is probably why they arrived as quickly as they did. The other cars tailed behind them.

They arrived at the David house soon. Eli, whose face was solemn, came out to meet them.

"Ziva, Tali, Ari. It is nice to see you, my children. These are your friends?"

"Abba, this is my friend, Tony DiNozzo."

"Tony. Short for Anthony?"

"Yes, sir."

"Nice to meet you, my boy. And who is this?"

"Father, this is Caitlin Todd, my girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you, too, Caitlin. And Tali, who is this?"

"Daddy, this is Luca… my boyfriend."

"Oh, goodness, my little girl is growing up." Eli tousled Tali's hair. "Why don't you all go get settled in your rooms?"

* * *

"This is my room," Ziva said, leading Tony into her old bedroom. The walls were a light purple, there was a shelf full of books, above which was a shelf of trophies, and the one above that held some stuffed animals.

"Never knew you were such a girl, Ziva," he teased, looking around the room.

"Shut up," she said, throwing a pillow at him. He ducked. "I will take the couch," she added, pointing toward the sofa by her window.

"No, this is your room. You take the bed. I usually fall asleep watching movies on the couch anyways. So take the bed."

"Tony, you aren't going to fit on the couch."

"I'll be fine, Ziva."

* * *

"The dinner was delicious," Ziva said to the cook. "Thank you."

"Anytime, sweetheart," she replied. "It is nice to see you again. If only it were under better circumstances, yes?"

Ziva nodded.

"I ought to go up to bed. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow."

* * *

**So, there you go, guys! Whatcha think? What do you think happens next? Think about it - Tiva. Foreign country. One room. Hmm...**

**I also need a shipper name for Tali David and Luca Sciuto. Any ideas?**

**Expect lots of Kari and Tiva in the upcoming chapters!**

**-Bridge**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hiya! And so I update again! I'd like to make a few things clear about this story. Yes, I realize that I'm taking this very fast. But, in trying to reflect the show itself, the beginning of this story is somewhat of my 'season 3' - where Tony and Ziva make kissy faces at each other the entire time - and stuff happens like in 'Undercovers', giving viewers (AKA the Tiva shippers of the world) something to hold onto, as Cote de Pablo herself said in an interview. By the end of this chapter, you'll hopefully understand my point. The following chapters - as far as Tiva moments go - will likely reflect seasons 4 and 7. Some of my plots will make that a little more clear as this story progresses.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned NCIS I'd have season passes to amusement parks instead of having to wait for chorus field trips to go.**

* * *

Tony and Ziva lay on her bed, flipping through channels on her widescreen television.

"Where are the ones in English?" Tony groaned, tossing the remote down in frustration.

"You can look at my movie collection if you prefer," Ziva offered, pointing toward a shelf to their left.

"Oh, thank goodness," he breathed in relief, standing up and leafing through the myriad of films. He procured _National Treasure: Book of Secrets _from her shelf.

"Great movie. Nicholas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger. What do you think?"

* * *

"Why would you kidnap the president of the United States?" Ziva asked incredulously.

"He's trying to clear his family name," Tony explained.

"By committing a federal offense?"

"Okay, I admit that that wasn't the smartest move. But when you're willing to do anything for your family, I guess it makes more sense." He glanced over at her to find her staring him down.

"It's all about bravery to you, isn't it?" she asked rhetorically, shaking her head.

"That—and hot chicks."

"You are a pig, you know that?"

"Eh, I've been told."

* * *

"Are you okay, Ari?" Kate asked, snuggling up to his side of the bed and wrapping her arms around him.

"I am fine, Caitlin," he replied, kissing her temple. "Just worried about Ziva and Tali, that is all."

"What about you?" Kate asked softly. "How are you holding up?"

"She was not _my_ mother, Caitlin," he replied shortly. "I should not worry about myself."

"But she raised you like her own."

Ari sighed.

"She was everything I could ask for in a mother, yes," he responded. "But as much of a mother she may have acted to me, the fact that she was not biologically my mother makes a difference."

"I understand. It makes a huge difference. But she _did _act as your surrogate mother and that _should _mean something. She raised you, Ari. She loved you, of that I am sure. Rivka might not have had the name Haswari, but she would've loved to if it meant being your biological mother."

Ari kissed her gently, a single tear falling.

"Thank you, _Neshomeleh_."

"Always, love, always."

"Caitlin… I do not want to feel like things are moving too fast. For either of us. I know that it has only been a short while, but this means too much to me. I knew there was something between us from the moment I saw you. And I think I was a little rash in inviting you here this weekend."

He saw Kate's face fall momentarily.

"Do not think that I regret this," he amended. "I really enjoy having you here and like that I can lean on you when things become difficult. I just do not want to rush into things. It has only been a few days and you're in another country to be my support system. I do not understand."

"Sometimes… there are moments in life when you just _know_. And when you _know _that something like this," she gestured between them, "is _real_, you don't just sit back and let things run their course. You jump in, feet first. You take a leap of faith. I'm not saying that you get married after a week, but I want us to be committed to one another. And maybe that's the wrong thing to say right now, while I'm in a foreign country with you and there's no way to avoid one another if something goes wrong here, but I'm taking this opportunity. I want a committed relationship, Ari. I want you to know that. I'm sorry if I sound too forward—"

He silenced her with another gentle kiss on her lips.

* * *

"Luca…" Tali whispered. "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything," he replied, coming to sit beside her on the bed. "You can always tell me anything."

"Honestly… I do not think I can take this. Ziva and Ari are both strong and _made _to be Mossad. It is evident through their training. But _me_… Luca, I cannot bear to kill a fly… How does my father expect me to be an assassin for the Mossad? My mother's death hurts me so much and they are all so _composed _and I—"

Luca wrapped his arms around her as she broke down in tears.

"Everything will be okay," he whispered. "I'm here for you. Always." Upon hearing this, all of her walls came crashing down, and she full-out sobbed into his shoulder. When her crying subsided, she pulled away.

"You cannot be serious about this, Luca. You and I are good together, but you're halfway across the world with me, and we do not even know if this is going to last. Statistically, it will not. I do not get why you are doing this. Or how your parents are okay with this. I feel as though we are trying to make progress but it may hurt us in the long run."

"From the moment I first saw you," Luca began, "I knew I had to ask you out. You were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. When we were in English, you made some mistake with some saying and I thought that was _adorable_. Then, in Honors Geometry, you helped me on that paper and I just kept thinking about how smart you are." He pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I know neither of us are ready to say _or _hear it, but I want you know that I wouldn't be here if I didn't have strong feelings for you. I think that there's something here. We shouldn't waste that."

* * *

He almost fell off the couch when he awoke to her screaming. Most of what she shouted was nonsensical, but he caught a few words – _Ima, bomb, _and _help. _He sat beside her on the bed and gently ran a hand through her hair.

"Ziva… Ziva, wake up, it's Tony," he said, attempting to wake her. "Ziva… it's okay. There's no bomb. You're safe."

Slowly, she awoke, half-crying, sweaty, and scared. Tony sat back, giving her a little space to breathe.

"Tony…" she began, attempting to compose herself. "I am sorry I woke you. Thank you for waking me. You can go back to bed now."

"You are not okay."

"I am, really. Thank you for watching out for me, but I will be fine."

"Zi, I don't care if you're the biggest hardass Mossad ever produced, but even you cannot be okay. Not after that."

"Tony, my mother had cancer. She was dying anyway. In a way, this is more merciful. That may sound sick, but it is true."

Tony sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to get any more out of her.

"Hey, I saw _Sleepless in Seattle _on your shelf earlier. Wanna watch it? It'll help to get your mind off of things." He took a moment to take in the expression on her face. She was clearly flustered; her face was red, her hair messy, and her eyes were clearly relaying the message that she was, in fact, frightened out of her mind. He saw her glance down for a moment, and followed her eyes to see his hand rested on her thigh. He pulled his hand back as though he had been burned. Looking up, he met her eyes, and saw them slowly change. They altered to show that her fear was fading, and were suddenly conveying a predatory, seductive look. "But judging by the look on your face, you're not interested in movies."

"There is only one thing I am interested in right now…"

They leaned toward each other, each infinitesimal motion seeming muted and measured. Finally, their lips met and Tony hesitated a second, waiting for her to make the first move. When she responded to the kiss, gently placing one hand on the back of his neck, he carefully pulled her closer to him, seeing that he was still respecting her space. He wasn't about to benefit from something she might regret in the morning. When they broke apart for air, he placed one hand gently on her cheek, staring into her eyes.

"Should we really be doing this?" he asked. "We're not dating, and we've only known each other for a few days. I know I've done worse stuff with girls I've known for less time, but we're friends. I don't want to make things weird…"

"You have certainly gone farther with plenty of other girls. Why should I be any different?"

Tony sighed.

"I just want to know that I'm not taking advantage of you right now."

"If anything, this is what I need right now to help me through."

Tony's heart sank a little. So this was just a one-time thing to help comfort her. In other circumstances, he would've pulled away. But this was something that she needed, and in all honesty, he needed it too. So he leaned toward her, capturing her lips with his once more. She might not regret it tomorrow… but he might.

* * *

**Yeah, we all get that whatever the heck is going on between these couples is moving rather fast, and I tried to make a point of that in their conversations. In later chapters, I'm going to contrast their fast-moving relationships (although, as far as you know, Tony and Ziva aren't together) with the relationship between Kelly and Kyle. Please review! Just to clarify, I will take constructive criticism because I can actually use it to improve my writing; however, I do not want flames for reviews. I haven't received any hate mail yet, but I wanted to make this point now, when I feel like I've made a risky decision within this piece that some may not be happy with. **** I don't publish my writing so it can be trashed on. ****I like publishing my writing so I can get useful feedback. And if you're going to give me constructive criticism (i.e., "I enjoyed everything except for this one scene") please explain why. If you're not explaining, I won't understand your reasoning. Just thought I'd make that clear. Thank you for reading. Your support is appreciated! -Bridge**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi, everybody! Sorry for the lack of updates recently. Been extremely swamped with school, sports, sister's graduation, Relay for Life, _Midsummer's_, etc. Unfortunately another short chapter. Sorry. Anyways, there's a poll on my profile on which couple you'd like to see more of in this fic. Please take a minute to vote! It would mean a lot! Thank you!**

* * *

Tony and Ziva woke early the next morning to find his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Well," he murmured, "this is the first time I've ever woken up to find such a beautiful woman in my arms."

She turned around carefully in his arms to look at him. His green eyes were barely open, his hair was sticking up at all angles, and there was a soft light casting through the window and landing perfectly on his face.

"I would certainly hope so," came her reply, as she was already wide awake.

"And you never pulled the gun under your pillow on me once," he replied, referring to the moment that his head had hit her pillow last night and accidentally landed on the butt of a pistol. Needless to say, he'd been confused.

"Well, if I feel safe, then there is no need," she answered him, uncharacteristically shy.

Tony smirked, feeling a surge of pride in his chest, and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. He wanted this moment to last forever; however, he realized, with a sinking feeling, what it was that she'd said last night. What happened in Israel would stay in Israel. Reluctantly, he pulled his arms back from around her waist and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"C'mon, let's go get breakfast."

"All you ever think about is food," she groaned.

"Not always. You see–"

"I do not want to know!" she exclaimed, covering her ears.

"You certainly wanted to know last night," he answered smugly.

"Stop," she pleaded. "Just... just stop. Please."

"Didn't say that last nigh—"

He was cut off by an elbow to the ribs.

* * *

"Hey, Ari, did you see where Ziva went?" Tony inquired of Haswari as they got back from Rivka's memorial service.

Ari glanced around.

"Thought I saw her head to the garden out behind the house," he answered. "She probably needs you right now," he added, lowering his voice.

Nodding in agreement, Tony made his way around the house.

Sitting on a wooden bench amongst a garden of unkempt flowers was Ziva. She was sitting there silently, head down, hands resting limply on her lap, almost in resignation. If he hadn't known her true age he would have guessed she were fourteen. She was already petite, but the rare vulnerability she was showcasing only added to the effect.

"Hey," he greeted her quietly, taking a seat beside her.

"Hi," she whispered.

"You alright?"

"I will be," she answered truthfully.

Tony nodded slowly, opening and closing his mouth before he got the courage to say what he felt was necessary.

"I'm sorry," he began. "For last night. I really shouldn't have—"

"It is okay," she replied. "It is what I needed to get through that. I am just sorry that I cannot follow through with what happened. I hope you understand."

"Yeah, yeah I do. I mean, we're friends, Ziva. If that's what you need, then so be it."

"Thank you."

"Well, we ought to get inside. Your relatives will be looking for you."

He stood from the bench and reached out his hand to help her up. However, she didn't notice and stared at the flowers around her.

"This was her garden," she said out of the blue. "My mother's. She used to spend forever here... until she found out that she had cancer. After that... she felt as though she's been wasting her time here. She thought she could spend more time with family. But right after she was diagnosed... Tali, Ari, and I were sent to America. That was the last time I saw her alive."

Tony didn't know what to say. So, in lieu of words, he took the seat beside her on the bench and kissed her.

* * *

"Ziva, would you mind playing a song on the piano?" Nettie requested. "Rivka taught you to play, did she not?"

"I have not played in quite some time. I do not know how good I will be, Dodah Nettie."

"Zi, I used to play piano a while back. I could help you out," Tony offered.

"Okay," she whispered.

The other four kids gathered around the piano. The others took a little time to recognize the tune as Tony began playing it. Ziva knew it immediately and joined his fingers on the keyboard.

Tony began singing:

_You feel like a candle in a hurricane_

_Just like a picture in a broken frame_

_Alone and helpless like you've lost your fight_

_But you'll be alright, you'll be alright_

Luca was the first to join in.

'_Cause when push comes to shove_

_You taste what you're made of_

_You might bend 'til you break_

'_Cause it's all you can take _

Kate joined in, adding a harmony to the chorus.

_On your knees you look up_

_Decide you've had enough_

_You get mad, you get strong_

_Wipe your head, shake it off,_

_Then you stand_

Luca and Kate faded out and Ziva's voice joined Tony's on the verse.

_Life's like a novel_

_With the end ripped out_

_The edge of a canyon_

_With only one way down_

_Take what you're given_

_Before it's gone_

_Start holding on, keep holding on_

Tali's voice joined Tony's, Ziva's, Luca's, and Kate's.

'_Cause when push comes to shove_

_You taste what you're made of_

_You might bend 'til you break_

'_Cause it's all you can take_

_On your knees you look up_

_Decide you've had enough_

_You get mad, you get strong,_

_Wipe your head, shake it off,_

_Then you stand_

The five of them faded out, letting the piano fill the room for a moment before Ari began singing.

_Every time you get up_

_And get back in the race_

_One more small piece of you_

_Starts to fall into place_

Tali joined him on the last line, going to a higher note. They all joined back in on the chorus. They slowly brought the song to a close.

For the three David children, it represented somewhat of closure for their mother's death. The song contained a lot of symbolism that was present in their lives - as Mossad they always had to get back up if they ever were to fall. It encouraged them to keep going even when the times got tough, like they were now. But the one difference was that now they had a choice. Now, they had reasons to fight. And those reasons were named Tony, Luca, and Kate.

* * *

**Hi hi hi! I finally updated! Any of you wondering what the song was - _Stand _by Rascal Flatts. Got Midsummer's performance tomorrow - I'm a fairy. Wish me luck, guys! -Bridge**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi guys! For those of you who wished me luck, thanks! The play went great! But now I am wearing SO much makeup - my hair is sprayed purple and green, I have blue and green eyeliner on my face, and I am completely COVERED in glitter. And I smell like cotton candy... The picture's somewhere on my tumblr...**

**Also, there's a poll on my profile asking which ship you'd like to see more of in this fic. For those of you who are wondering, there will be more NCIS: LA characters in later chapters, and more Densi/Neric. I've already got one vote! Thank you!**

**By the way, forgot to address this - the top three ship names for the Tali/Luca pairing: Tuca, Lali, and Taca. Vote in your comments (please).**

**Thanks, guys! You're awesome!**

* * *

The flight home was spent in silence. Kate and Ari sat, cuddled up together in the back of the pane. Tali and Luca were sitting side-by-side, holding hands. Ziva was sleeping with her head in Tony's lap, and he was absentmindedly drawing shapes on her upper arm. Pacci was sitting by Nettie, whose head was in her hands. Chris's hand was rested comfortingly on her knee.

Upon landing at the airport, they were met by Gibbs, Kate's father, and Luca's dad.

"Don't bother with a taxi, either of you," Gibbs said to Tony and Pacci. "I'll give you both a ride."

"Thanks, Gibbs," Tony said quietly. "But it's fine."

"Don't worry, kid, your house is right down the street from mine."

Tony thanked him again, accepting the ride.

"Thanks, Jethro, but Char's picking me up. We got here a little earlier than I told her, so she ought to get here in a few minutes."

"Okay. Call me if you need a lift."

"I will. Thank you."

The trip was silent, and almost solemn, until they got onto their street.

"So..." Gibbs started. "How is Ziva?"

"I think she'll be fine. Eventually."

"Good. And the other two?"

"Kate and Luca are helping them out."

"That's good. Good..."

Gibbs pulled up to Tony's house.

"Is that Kelly?" Tony asked, spying a girl on his doorstep.

"Mmhmm..." Gibbs murmured, parking the car. They got out of the car, and Gibbs helped Tony with his bag as he opened his door.

"Did he tell you?" Kelly asked, ducking by Tony into his living room.

"Tell me what?"

Kelly grabbed the remote and turned on the television.

"_In recent news,_" the ZNN reporter began, "_five seniors at Jefferson High in DC were recently struck and killed in a car crash. Names are not yet being released—_"

"Who?" Tony asked. "Please tell me Kyle, Abby, and Tim are okay."

"They're fine, Tony."

"What about Breena? Jimmy? Nell? Kensi?"

"Tony, it wasn't them."

"Who was it?" he asked, holding his breath.

"Dom Vail, Gayne Levin, Simon Cade, Paula Cassidy, and Michelle Lee," Gibbs answered.

Tony sighed heavily and sat on his couch.

"We can't deal with this much death," he murmured. "Ziva's mom, now _this_? Their poor families. Michelle had a little sister that she was practically _raising_. She's gonna be stuck in the foster system for years. And Jimmy… that was his _girlfriend._"

"I know. It's terrible."

"And Gayne and Simon were EJ's best friends. She has _no one _without them. Dom was close with Kensi… and Paula… Paula was _my _friend. We were close… Her two best friends had been killed in a car crash a couple years back, too. Oh, God…"

"I'm glad you're okay, though, Tony," Kelly whispered.

"Ditto, Kels." She hugged him tightly.

Tony and Kelly both glanced up tearfully.

"Bring it in, Daddy," Kelly whispered, opening one arm up to her father, allowing him to join the hug. Gibbs stepped toward them, wrapping an arm tightly around Kelly and kissing her forehead. He placed a fatherly arm on Tony's opposite shoulder. They had no idea how long they stood there.

* * *

The five funerals passed over the course of that month. The crash had been caused by what authorities had determined as drunk driving. They hadn't found the perpetrator, as the area was a blind spot for cameras and there were no witnesses. There were no tire marks that identified another vehicle. The other car's driver had allegedly pulled in front of them, causing them to swerve. The driver of the victims' car had lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. The car ignited, killing all five of the teenagers. Emergency vehicles arrived on-scene in time to put out the fire before it completely consumed the car and the victims inside. The body of the car's teenage driver was too mangled to find the gun shot wound.

* * *

**Sooo... what do you think? I know, it's short and OOC. But... you know... wanted to update... had English homework... Review, please?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So... the Pacci-ness shall continue... right now...**

**Disclaimer: If I owned NCIS / NCIS: LA, I wouldn't have to come up with disclaimers...**

* * *

There were many things that NCIS Special Agent Christopher Pacci loved—his job, his parents, his sister, his team, and especially his coworker/girlfriend, Charlotte Mackenzie. But of those many things he loved, spending his Friday nights sitting in awkward silence across from his boss, Mike Franks, was not one of them.

"So," Franks began, "you just gonna sit there and watch me drink or you gonna say something?"

They were sitting in the booth of a bar, pacing themselves as they drank. Chris was watching what he drank, seeing as he was about to have the most awkward conversation since his parents gave him "the talk".

"Uh, yeah," Pacci began, "you see, you're the closest thing that Charlotte has to a father—"

"Oh, good God, not this," Franks groaned.

"Boss…?"

"You know there ain't any official rules against coworkers dating, but I've never been for it. Charlotte ain't an agent, it ain't such a problem. Char is the best forensic scientist I've seen in my time. Which is… a while… trust me. I was on Morrow's team with Riley McAliister and Elena Sharp when I was just a probie. You know that just because she works right downstairs, don't mean you're allowed to be distracted, or that you can distract her."

"I understand."

"Alright. Go ahead and ask it then."

"You're the closest thing to a father that Charlotte's ever had, and I wanted to ask you… for her hand in marriage."

"I don't have any right to say no," Franks began, "but I don't know why I would. I see you and Char happiest when you're together. You're a team. Never met nobody who can type together on a keyboard. So, yeah, you got my blessing. Don't make the mistakes I made, Chris. Stay by her side, talk things through, never go to bed angry even if that means staying up every night 'til you forgive each other. With these jobs that won't last long. Exhaustion sets in real fast."

Pacci smiled.

"Thank you, Boss."

Franks nodded.

"Now let's drink on it."

* * *

"Jimmy, you need to get back out there," Kelly said to him as she, Kyle, Nell, and he sat in his room. "Find a nice girl."

"I don't feel like it," he grumbled.

"C'mon, Jimbo, it'll be good for you," Kyle replied. "Help you get past what happened."

"Yeah," Nell offered. "See, there's a free dating site that Eric set up for the school. Hundreds of students have already joined. I'm sure you'll find someone." Nell walked to his computer and typed in the URL.

"There. Now, create a profile."

Grudgingly, Palmer did so.

"Your username is _Gremlin_Shoes_?" Kelly asked incredulously.

"Is there a problem?" Jimmy groaned.

"No…" Kelly began. "It's just… unique…"

"Now, you just have to answer a few questions," Nell cut in. "Right there, if you click that button, it will open the form."

Jimmy filled out the questionnaire.

"There. It just found your perfect match," Nell said.

"That was fast," Kelly commented.

"That's what she said," Nell replied shortly.

Kyle snorted.

"Her username is _ScienceSorceress123_," Jimmy stated.

"Sounds just up your alley," Kyle muttered.

"Chat with her," Kelly encouraged him.

"What do I say?"

"Say _hi_."

* * *

_Gremlin_Shoes: _hi

_ScienceSorceress123: _hi

_Gremlin_Shoes: _so… should I tell you my name..?

_ScienceSorceress123: _lets not tell each other our names so we can judge by what we learn about each other instead of our previous thoughts. its like the show 'the voice'.

_Gremlin_Shoes: _i like that idea and I love 'the voice'_._

_ScienceSorceress123: _team blake. u?

_Gremlin_Shoes: _team adam. edward or jacob?

_ScienceSorceress123: _hate twilight.

_Gremlin_Shoes: _THANK GOD! finally met a girl who hates it, too.

_ScienceSorceress123: _its overrated. who wants to get fought over by 2 guys who could kill you w/ their bare hands?

_Gremlin_Shoes: _ikr? thank god! u get it! u dont mind that I mentioned god, do you? im christian.

_ScienceSorceress123: _catholic. no, i dont mind.

_Gremlin_Shoes: _great. so, are u a senior? junior?

_ScienceSorceress123: _senior. u?

_Gremlin_Shoes: _me 2. we have a lot in common. just wondering… what r ur grades like?

_ScienceSorceress123: _all a's. u?

_Gremlin_Shoes: _same. guess were both honor roll students?

_ScienceSorceress123: _i just narrowed down the list. there r 12 christian senior guys on honor roll. im on to you.

_Gremlin_Shoes: _an only 9 catholic senior girls.

_ScienceSorceress123: _so… why r u on here?

_Gremlin_Shoes: _my friends thought i needed 2 get over my… lack of a relationship. u?

_ScienceSorceress123: _cant find a decent relationship offline. guys usually just want me for my body.

_Gremlin_Shoes: _u've narrowed the list to 6.

_ScienceSorceress123: _lol

_Gremlin_Shoes: _so, what tv do u watch?

_ScienceSorceress123: _i like 'the voice', 'how i met your mother', 'the big bang theory' , and 'friends'.

_Gremlin_Shoes: _me 2. small small world. i think the creator of this site is a genius.

_ScienceSorceress123: _i rly have 2 go soon. ill IM u later. k?

_Gremlin_Shoes: _can I ask u ur name?

_ScienceSorceress123: _breena slater.

_*ScienceSorceress123 has logged off*_

* * *

"Holy crap…" the four of them muttered.

"Jimmy… I think you discovered the girl of your dreams in the form of the valedictorian/head cheerleader," Kelly said.

"Palmer for the win!" Kyle shouted, high-fiving the other boy.

Palmer stared at the screen in shock. He and Breena had grown up together. They were next door neighbors. She used to jump from her window to the roof beside his, and they'd sit side-by-side late into the night, just talking and laughing. When they'd reached high school, they'd split off into their own cliques, but had remained close friends. They didn't talk quite as much as they used to, but they were still the best friends that they could be.

* * *

Breena grinned as she logged off. This guy seemed genuinely nice. They had so much in common. She kind of secretly hoped for it to be a certain one of the five guys she'd narrowed it down to, but if they were supposedly her perfect match, did it matter anyways?

* * *

**And the Brimmy shipping begins. The proposal will most likely be in the next chapter. You know what to do. Say words. Press buttons. Or one button. I think it's blue and it's somewhere below...**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updates, but you know... Honors Geometry packet due in September. Have to start now or I'll be doing it on the bus to my first day of high school... Anyways, prepare for minor character fluff. Because I got bored.**

**Disclaimer: What do you think?**

* * *

The silver moon shone down upon a garden of lilacs and irises somewhere in rural Virginia. Small lights lined the pathway between rows of flowers as they walked hand-in-hand. The two came upon a white gazebo where a candlelit dinner was laid out.

"This is beautiful, Chris," Charlotte whispered. "You really went all out."

"I wanted our one-year anniversary to be special," he replied, pulling out her chair and kissing her gently on the lips after she took a seat.

"You're too sweet," she murmured, pushing a piece of her dark brown hair behind her ear. "How did you find this place?"

"It's actually my grandmother's old garden. That's her house, right there. She left it to me when she passed away a few months ago."

"It's… gorgeous. Have you been keeping these flowers since?"

"Yeah. I have. Thought you might like them."

"I love them. You did this just for our anniversary?"

"No. I was wondering if you'd move in here with me."

Charlotte looked up from her plate, eyes slightly widened with surprise at the question and just how casually he had asked.

"Okay."

They smiled at one another from across the table.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I love you, too."

They ate dinner while engaged in quiet conversation. They soon took a walk, hand-in-hand, down the pathway, through the rows of flowers.

"Look," Pacci said, pointing to the sky. "Fireworks."

They stared at the flashing displays for a few minutes.

"That one's spelling something," Charlotte whispered. "Look, it's… oh my God…"

The firework exploded, leaving the words _Charlotte will you marry me? _literally hanging over them. Looking to her side, she saw Chris get down on one knee and open a small box.

"Yes," she breathed. "Yes! A thousand times, yes!"

Chris slipped the ring on her finger and stood, gathering her in his arms and kissing her.

* * *

Kelly tugged on her sweater as she ran downstairs. She hiccupped once, and groaned. It was her birthday and she was hiccupping. And she _hated _hiccups.

The doorbell rang. Answering it, she found Kyle on her doorstep with a bouquet of flowers.

"Oh, Kyle _*hic* _you shouldn't _*hic* _have."

"I wanted to. You've got hiccups. Have you been drinking?"

"Yeah. But only _*hic* _if there's alcohol _*hic* _in orange juice."

Kyle grinned.

"Come _*hic*_ in," she offered. He obliged. "You eaten _*hic* _yet?"

"I did, thanks. So, you busy tonight?"

"Not especially," she replied, hiccupping on the second word. "Why?"

"I may have planned to take my favorite girl on her birthday dinner."

"It's _*hic* _your mom's _*hic* _birthday?"

"Ha, cute. But I was talking about _you_. Are you busy?"'

"I'm _*hic* _not. Just _*hic* _for you."

Kyle grinned at her. She smiled for a second before feeling his lips on hers, and her back to the counter. They broke apart and Kyle rested his forehead on hers.

"What was that for?" Kelly inquired.

"Because I know how much you hate hiccupping."

It took her a moment to figure it out, but she got it. With a grin, she whispered,

"My hiccups are gone."

"Exactly."

"Now are you gonna give me a ride to school or not?"

"Let's go with yes."

* * *

"Kyle, this is so sweet of you," Kelly murmured as they sat across from one another at the restaurant.

"Anything for you. You deserve it."

"Since when? Only a year ago I was practically a suicidal wreck. You saved my life ten years ago. _You _deserve _everything_. You deserve so much more than I can give you."

"You've already given me everything I need, Kels. You've given me the chance to be with you. That's everything to me."

She kissed him.

* * *

"Kyle, where are we going?" she asked, tugging on the blindfold.

"You'll see. Just hold on."

He put the car in park, then ran around to the passenger side to open the door for her, and helped her to the ground.

"On three, take the blindfold off," Kyle said. "One… two… three!"

Kelly tore off the blindfold.

"SURPRISE!"

She gasped.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Kyle whispered as he kissed her head.

All of their friends stood around a bonfire in Kyle's backyard.

"You said your parents weren't home this weekend!" Kelly almost scolded him.

"I got their express permission. In addition, my godparents, Cassie and Robert, are here to supervise. Don't worry – no alcohol or drugs."

"I can't believe you did this for me. You are _amazing_."

She kissed him quickly before rushing off to hug the others.

* * *

Kelly's seventeen closest friends sat around the bonfire with marshmallows for s'mores and red solo cups full of soda.

"I'd like to make a toast," Kyle shouted over the crackling of the fire. "To the birthday girl. Kelly Gibbs. I am the single luckiest guy in the world to have you by my side. The best decision I ever made in my life was to go running on that February morning. I don't know what I did to win you over. Calling 911 and getting you out of that car don't seem like enough. I don't deserve you. I must've done something pretty badass in a past life to actually be with you. There has never been anyone in my life who means as much to me as you do. This is to you."

"Huzzah!" exclaimed the others.

Tears were welling up in Kelly's eyes.

"Let us sing!" Marty Deeks called. There was some cheering from the others.

"_Happy birthday to you…"_

When the others finished singing off-tune, Kelly blew out the fire on a flaming marshmallow in lieu of a birthday candle.

* * *

She and Kyle snuck off to the side a little later, away from the others.

"This night has been amazing," she whispered. "I can't thank you enough."

"It's not over yet," he murmured. "I got you something." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small box. With a questioning look, she opened it. Upon seeing the box's contents, she gasped.

"Oh my God… Kyle, this is beautiful. This must have cost you a ton."

In her hand was a necklace. It was a silver chain with the letters K&K in cursive inlaid with small diamonds.

"It doesn't matter how much it cost," he replied. Six months' worth of allowance was worth the look on her face.

"Will you put it on me?"

"Of course." He pulled her hair back and clasped it around her neck. She touched the pendant with her fingertips before turning around and kissing him gently on the lips. When they pulled away, there were tears running down her cheeks. Kyle wiped them away.

"I love you, Kelly," he admitted quietly.

"I love you, too, Kyle," she replied, her voice breaking. He pulled her into a gentle kiss, a single tear escaping from his left eye as he embraced her.

* * *

**So... hey. What up? Nobody kill me for lack of Tiva. Or lack of Ari (yes, I'm talking about you Ari's NCIS Girl).**

**What do you guys think about Chris/Charlotte (I'm thinking of calling them C2 - what do you think?) and Kelly/Kyle (K2?) ? Just so everyone knows, the shipper name for Tali/Luca is Taca. Because it sounds like taco, as I've been told :) . **

**Please review and take a moment to visit my profile and vote in my poll (Which ship would you like to see more of in 'The Protection Detail?). Thank you, everybody!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hi, everybody! Sorry for the lack of updates- my mother has been dragging me to the gym recently...**

**Thanks to the three people who voted on my poll - the results say Tony/Ziva, Deeks/Kensi, and Nell/Eric. I tried to focus on these three couples in this update...**

**Disclaimer: Would you like me to repeat myself?**

**I don't own Microsoft either... so don't sue me...**

* * *

Tony and Ziva were sitting around the fire, sharing a log, when Tony noticed goosebumps on her arms. He saw her shiver slightly; then he carefully draped his jacket over her shoulders.

"You don't have to—" she started.

"I want to," he cut her off. She smiled and leaned into his touch in reply. He wrapped one arm around her. She might not be his girlfriend, but that didn't mean that he wasn't allowed to hold her, right?

* * *

"Hey, so, Marty and I are flying out to LA over the weekend to surf. I'm supposed to bring three friends…" Eric trailed off. "And, uh, Marty and whoever he chooses to bring are my other two… so I just wondered if you'd, uh…"

"Yes," Nell replied.

"Really?"

"Of course. But you might have to help me out."

"I'd be happy to."

"But I have to ask—why are you flying to LA for a weekend?"

"I just sold some of my new equipment and technology to Microsoft and got paid big bucks. My mom has helped me manage my money, and going to LA to surf has been my dream. So I got five round-trip tickets on first class, three hotel rooms for the weekend, and money for food and board rentals with money to spare."

"They're paying you that much?"

"Well, I'm just that good, Nell," he replied, leaning toward her and bumping her shoulder with his.

She giggled somewhat uncharacteristically.

"That you are. You'll have to let me help you out sometime. Maybe I could give you a few pointers."

"Pointers? You think you're better than me, Jones?" he chuckled.

Her mouth dropped open.

"You think I can't out-tech you, Beale!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"Oh, it is _on_!" Nell exclaimed, extending her hand. He reached across and shook her hand. When they finished shaking hands, Eric didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he intertwined their fingers and held onto her hand for the rest of the night.

* * *

"Hi, Marty," Kensi said, sitting beside him.

"Hey, Kens."

"Okay, so you've been looking at me weird all night. What's going on?"

"Alright, well… Eric and I are flying to LA for the weekend and we can each bring a friend. Honestly, you're the closest thing to a friend I have here. When I left my old school, my best friend Ray and I barely had time to exchange phone numbers, so we barely even talk. I just wanted to know if you'd… you know… go with me?"

"Eric's bringing Nell with him?"

"If _that's _any indication, then yes," Marty replied, pointing toward the two, who were laughing and holding hands.

"Then yes."

Deeks smiled at her.

"Great. I'll text you the details."

"Aren't they just _adorable_?" she asked, nodding toward Eric and Nell.

"Yeah, they are. Just too bad they won't admit it and get together already."

"There's obviously something going on between them and they _know _it too. But they won't admit it."

* * *

"How was your party?" Kelly's dad asked her when she arrived home.

"Amazing," she giggled. "Kyle is _the _most amazing guy in _the world_."

"I take it things went well."

"Well? They went _fantastic_!"

"Happy birthday, Kels. Glad you had a great day." He kissed her on the head. "Go on up to bed. I'll see you in a minute."

"'Night, dad."

"Night, Princess."

* * *

"Oh, God, Marty, I'm gonna fall, I'm gonna—"

"Don't worry, I got you," he said, grabbing onto her. "You're safe." He steadied her.

"I don't get why you like this so much," she started. "In all honesty, I kind of hate it right now."

"That's because you're so focused on being in control of the situation. Be one with the waves. Let yourself loose. Let others help you, Kens. Let _me _help you."

"I'm sorry, it's just… difficult… to trust anymore. My mother and I had a difficult relationship, and after she was gone, my father was killed. Having control of a situation was the one way I could cope."

"I know what you mean. My father was abusive. It got so bad that I was afraid for my life and especially the life of my mother. He was one drink away from killing us both. My mother, convinced that my father was truly a good man at heart, refused to call it in and refused to let me. So, one day… I shot him. Didn't kill him or anything. Just enough to make sure that he did his time."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be."

They both looked up to see Eric and Nell just hanging onto Eric's surfboard. They were smiling at each other. Nell's short red hair was covering her eyes, and Eric reached over and pushed her bangs away from her face. She cast her eyes downward slightly, her cheeks turning almost the same shade as her hair. The smile on Eric's face widened as he reached over, tilting her chin upward to look him in the eyes. Eric bit his lower lip just slightly before he leaned across the surfboard and hesitantly pressed his lips to hers.

"Isn't that sweet?" Deeks asked.

"They're a beautiful couple," Kensi admitted. "Can't believe it took them this long to actually get together."

"Yeah," Deeks replied. "Seems like they'd have done it already. It's so obvious how much they wanted it from the start."

"From the moment Nell walked in, I can say with all honesty that Eric _hated _her. She finished his sentences, and did better than him on tests. But they worked together in class a lot, and they became like a well-oiled machine. They just _fit _together, you know?"

"They share so much common ground, but they're also very different."

"Yeah."

* * *

Kensi fluffed the pillow on her bed and pulled back the sheet on her bed to climb in. Nell exited the bathroom in her pajamas, drying off her hair from the shower she just took.

"So…" Kensi began, "you and Eric, huh?"

"Um... yeah... yeah, me and Eric..."

"So, how long have you two—"

"Today. Just today."

"So are you two…?"

"We are… dating…" Nell replied quietly, climbing into her own bed.

"Congrats."

"Thank you. What about you and Marty?"

"What _about _me and Marty?"

"You two aren't…?"

"No. No! God, no. Marty and I? Never," Kensi laughed nervously. "Never."

"Certainly seems it. You two are very… compatible. You're complimentary."

"And _you_… are mistaken."

Kensi turned out the light and lay on her right side, staring at the wall. Her and Marty? Was there a possibility that she might have feelings for him? Or that he might have feelings for her? What, exactly, were they?

* * *

**For those of you out there who might be upset that Kensi is referring to Deeks as 'Marty', I am doing this because they are in high school and I think that most teens refer to one another by their first names. So if this upsets you, I apologize.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Um, hi, everybody. Sorry for my lengthy absence. Field hockey practices started and I've been kinda busy... but otherwise, I have no excuses for my lack of updates. I'm so sorry, and thanks to anyone who's actually reading this because it's been forever since my last update. This chapter will be slightly longer than usual... Anyways, it's Homecoming time... **

**Meanwhile, I've been writing a collab fic with Mel (SmellyThePirate) and Kristen (dolphin6457) over on our collab account: Michaels-Bed-Bugs. It's titled NCIS: Exposed. Go check it out if you have a chance. Thanks!**

* * *

It was homecoming at Jefferson High. That meant the students actually began to show some school pride. The dance was scheduled for after the big game, and many students had yet to find dates.

Tony had been asked many times by numerous girls, but had turned all of them away. Ziva had also been asked by many guys, but she as well had turned them down. Tim and Abby were going together, but had established to the rest of the student body that they were going as "just friends". Jimmy was waiting to tell Breena about his secret identity. Breena was still hung up on her internet love interest, and was going alone. Kensi and Deeks were both approached a few times before they both finally became exasperated with turning people down that they decided to just go together as friends just to avoid the entire fiasco. Kate and Ari, Nell and Eric, and Kelly and Kyle, all now official couples, had made plans to go together. G had been friends with Lara Macy for a while, and he's had a thing for her, so he asked. She said yes. Sam had met a very sweet girl, Johanna Summers, on Eric's site, and asked her to go with him. Renko, having always had a secret crush on Cassie Yates, asked her.

* * *

"Ziva!" Tony called. "Zi! Wait up!"

They caught up to one another.

"What is it?" Ziva asked.

"You got a date to homecoming yet?"

"Um… no… why?"

"I don't either. I was thinking you and I could just go as… you know… friends…?"

"Um, sure. I would like that.:

"Great. Well, uh, the game is in two days. There's a tradition that the football players' girlfriends wear the jerseys the day before. And since I'm currently single, and you are the closest thing I have to a girlfriend, I wondered if you would do the honors."

Ziva smiled.

"Of course."

* * *

"_Oh my God, I can't believe DiNozzo finally hooked up with David."_

"_How'd he score her?"_

"_That lucky son of a–"_

"_Do you think they only got together because he knocked her up?"_

"_Did you hear? David got knocked up by DiNozzo."_

"_I heard David's pregnant. I don't believe it. She's still smoking hot."_

"_Tony refused my invite to homecoming but he's taking that slut?"_

"_Someone said Tony and Ziva hooked up under the bleachers."_

* * *

"Have you heard some of the rumors that they're spreading about us?" Tony asked Ziva the next day at her locker.

"Oh, I know. I had to assure about nine tearful girls that you were single, but you had already asked me to homecoming when they had asked you. I then had to explain that you and I were just friends." She placed her books into the locker and shut it, leaning back against the door. Tony smiled at her.

"What about these stories about you and I hooking up?"

"What do hooks have anything to do with this? I thought we were discussing rumors?"

"We were. 'Hooking up' refers to, uh… second base…? Or is it third…?"

"Tony, you are not making any sense. How does baseball pertain to this conversation?"

"Uh, 'hooking up' mean to, uh… you know, do the… why is this so awkward?"

"Your father has not given you the talk, yet, hmm?"

"No! I think he just assumed that I would do that kind of thing either way. Wait. You knew what I was talking about the whole time? Why didn't you say so?"

"It is fun to watch you suffer."

"You're cruel, Ms. David."

"I have been told," she shrugged. "Anyways, I have heard these rumors. And I admit, while they are mostly ridiculous, they are not all entirely untrue. You and I both know what happened in Israel."

"We don't need to talk about it. It was something we both needed that night. I don't regret what happened."

"What _did _happen, Tony?" she asked quietly.

"We rounded third base," he muttered.

"And I would say we ran right home, too," Ziva whispered. Tony looked up at her in shock at her proper use of the American language. "I do not regret what happened, either. We just need to put these things behind us. We need to move on from what happened. If we keep questioning our actions that night, then we will never move forward. If we want to remain friends, then forward motion is… essential."

"I agree."

"Tomorrow is the big game."

"Don't I know it."

"You are going to be amazing."

"I can only pray."

* * *

There were mere seconds left, and everyone was counting on Tony to make the final touchdown. So, when he did, the crowd went insane.

"And the Jefferson High Blue Devils win!" exclaimed the eccentric teenage boy over the loudspeaker. The band joined in the cheering.

Tony ripped his helmet off as the crowd came rushing onto the field. He wasn't surprised when Ziva reached him first.

"Congratulations!" she shouted over the cheering. He pulled her into a hug, effectively lifting her off the ground, and kissed her cheek. He set her down, only to receive hugs, high-fives, and congratulations from his other friends.

Jeanne Benoit stood, seething, as she watched Tony embrace Ziva.

"That should be _me_," she insisted to the boy beside her. "I was angry and broke up with him because I found out that he was friends with that bitch, Kelly Gibbs. Her dad murdered my father. But I was nice and I forgave him. I even offered to take him back, but he refused! He said he loved me! What is he doing with that slut?"

"That _slut_ is my ex-girlfriend," the guy replied.

Jeanne opened and closed her mouth, unsure of how to redeem herself.

"I—"

"It is okay," he shook it off. "My name is Michael Rivkin. How would you like to get in on a plan to get our former significant others back?"

"What do you have planned?"

* * *

_Nothing_, by The Script was playing, and several kids were dancing with their dates. Both Jimmy and Breena, who were dateless, were sitting in folding chairs surrounding the dance floor. She caught a glimpse of him from across the room – sitting alone and looking dejected – and decided to go talk to him.

"Are you okay?"

Jimmy looked up to see Breena standing there. She took the seat beside him.

"Jimmy, if something's wrong, you can tell me."

He shook his head.

"It's not that simple."

"I'm smart – I think I can help you make it less complicated."

"Breena… I am an idiot. I fell in love with a girl sixty-two and a half miles out of my league. We have so much in common, and she's amazingly sweet and intelligent. She's also the most beautiful woman I have ever met."

Breena felt a pang of jealousy at some of these comments. She and Jimmy had grown up together – they lived next door from one another, they had the same classes together since Pre-K, and they hung out all the time. They knew everything about one another – and yet, he somehow had fallen in love with someone and hadn't told her.

"Oh," she said simply. She fixed her hair and adjusted her bright yellow dress. "I didn't know you liked someone, Jimmy. Why didn't you tell me? You and I used to tell each other _everything._"

"I'm sorry, Breena, I just… I'm just having a difficult time. She and I… it'll never work anyways. I'm sorry I gave you this sob-story."

"Do you wanna dance?" she asked quickly as the song changed.

"What?"

"I said, do you want to dance?" she repeated, standing up.

"Sure," he replied, a small smile crossing his face.

She grabbed his hand in hers and pulled him out onto the floor.

_I finally asked you to dance on the last slow song_

_Beneath the moon that was really a disco ball_

_I can still hear my head on your shoulder_

_And hoping that song would never be over_

"Jimmy, about what you were saying earlier… if you really love this girl… then go for it. If it's meant to be… she'll love you back."

"But Breena—"

"Just go for it."

_I brushed your curls back so I could see your eyes_

_And the way you moved me was like you were reading my mind_

_I can still feel you lean into kiss me…_

"It'll ruin whatever friendship I have with her," he replied stubbornly.

"But it's something you need to do. If you never try, you'll never know."

He nodded slowly.

"Now go," she continued. "Do what you need to do."

She slipped out of his arms, turning to leave. He tried calling after her, but she ran away as fast as she could on the pair of heels she was wearing. And she didn't stop.

* * *

Tony and Ziva were dancing slowly together on the floor.

"Would you do me a favor?" he whispered in her ear.

"What do you have in mind?"

He took her hand and lead her out of the gym and into the hallway.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he led her into a nearby classroom. He shushed her, and pushed her back into a wall, pressing his lips to hers. She placed one hand on his chest, responding to the kiss eagerly. She was the only who pulled away. "What is it that we are doing?" she inquired, dark eyes gazing into his.

"What, not so happy about making out with the football champ of Jefferson High?"

"You are full of yourself," she pointed out as he placed a kiss on her neck.

"Am I?" He pressed another kiss to her jawline. "Maybe I'm just addicted to you."

She let out a sigh as he kissed behind her ear.

"And what is it that you want?"

"You aren't looking for a romantic relationship and I have an addiction to you. Let's compromise." He kissed the corner of her mouth. "Friends with benefits."

She let out a soft groan.

"I think I can deal with that."

He pressed another kiss to her lips, pressing her harder against the classroom wall. She was the one to break it again.

"They are choosing homecoming king soon," she murmured. "You need to be there for that."

"Mmhmm," he hummed, claiming her lips again. Pulling away, he took her hand and started leading her back to the gym.

* * *

"Hello? Is anyone in here?" came a girl's voice from outside the bathroom stall. The girl in the stall involuntarily let out a small sob. "Breena, is that you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she called. "Go away!"

"Sweetie, it's Kelly. Come on out."

Breena slowly emerged from the cubicle. Her makeup was smudged and her eyes were red.

"Oh, honey, what happened?"

"He… he likes someone else…" she sobbed.

"Who?"

"_Him. _I can't… you'll think it's weird."

"I could never."

"It would never happen! I just need to give up, okay?"

"Breena, you are _the _most popular girl in school. You're head cheerleader, you have straight A's and you are _beautiful."_

Breena looked in the mirror on the wall.

"I don't feel so beautiful right now," she admitted. "You remember what I told you about that guy I met on Eric's dating site?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I like him a lot, and if things don't work out with this other guy I like, then I'm going to ask the internet guy out."

"Who's the other guy?" Kensi inquired, her eyebrows shooting up.

"You promise you won't laugh at me?"

"I promise."

After a steadying breath and a moment of silence, Breena answered her.

"It's Jimmy Palmer," she confessed.

Kelly grinned and broke out into laughter.

"Kelly!" Breena exclaimed. "You promised me you wouldn't laugh!"

"I'm sorry! I'm not laughing at you! I promise! I'm laughing because there's just one detail you've overlooked."

"Which is?"

"That dating site guy you met? He _is _Jimmy Palmer!"

Breena's mouth dropped open.

"How do you know this?"

"Nell, Kyle, and I were with him when he was chatting you."

"Oh my God… So all this time…"

"Yep."

"I need to go apologize—"

"Not with that makeup on, you're not."

* * *

She scanned the room, turning to Kyle when she was unable to locate the person of interest.

"Have you seen Jimmy?"

"Yeah, he was right over –"

Breena looked to where Kyle was pointing a few yards away to see Jimmy… locking lips with Jeanne Benoit.

* * *

**Please don't kill me... I'm sorry for that ending... It will make a little more sense in the next chapter. Anyways, for anyone who is still with me, please leave your thoughts in a review. Anyone who reviews gets a preview of the next chapter! Love you guys. **

**-Bridge**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey, everybody. Due to my lazy lack of updates, I decided to treat you guys to another chapter. Your reactions to the previous one were great - although you were pretty angry with me... I believe there was some cursing... XD.**

**Thanks to those of you who reviewed the last chapter, and have stuck with it from the beginning. If you're only just starting this, welcome, and thanks for making the mistake of reading this story. It is very much appreciated.**

**If you like this story and you love Tiva, McAbby, and/or Jibbs, I suggest that you go read "NCIS: Exposed" by Michaels-bed-bugs, which is my collab fic with Mel (SmellyThePirate) and Kristen (dolphin6457). Thanks!**

**I also did some beta-ing for a lovely person named "Truth or Endgames". The fic is titled "She Deserves It". It's a Tiva fic, and I think it's beatifully written, so I suggest you give it a chance. It is a little sad, so you might want some tissues...**

**Thanks to everyone reading this! I love you!**

* * *

She was seeing everything as if in slow motion. It was like a scene out of some cheesy rom-com – everything was slowed down, muted, and the minute facial movements she was making clearly exhibited the exact moment where her heart snapped in two.

"_No_…" Her voice cracked and tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Jimmy broke the kiss, pushing Jeanne away from him, and looked over to see Breena standing there.

"Bree…" He broke away from Jeanne's grip and rushed to her.

"How… _how could you_? I thought that… I can't…" Her voice broke as she began to full-out sob. She turned away from him.

"You have to understand—"

"I saw what it looked like! You were kissing her! And I know I have no claim over you, but when we got paired up online I thought we had a real connection. And honestly? I was in love with you long before then! We've been best friends for years now, and it killed me to see you with Michelle, as much as I liked her! I'm in love with you, Jimmy! And I thought that you reciprocated the feelings when you told me that you were in love tonight, but you'd rather someone easy, like _her_!" The crowd that had gathered around them had their jaws dropped to the floor. Breena _never _insulted people, as much as she seemed to hate them. "But I get it. You just wanted another physical relationship. It's like I never knew you at all."

"That's not true."

"Then prove it."

She began walking away again, when he grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around, crushing his lips to hers in a frenzied kiss. She responded quickly, wrapping her arms around his neck. When they broke apart with the mutual need for air, he rested his forehead on hers.

"I love you, Breena. And I always have. Jeanne just _kissed _me. Honestly, I've never said two words to her. She hates me. Breena, I've loved you since the day we met. It might've taken me a while to realize it, and once I did, I tried denying it, thinking it would never happen, and _that _is why I was with Michelle. We were never extremely close; it was more physical than emotional. But we spent a lot of time together and when you lose someone you spent that much time with, sometimes… things get hard for a while. But believe me when I tell you… I love you. With all my heart."

The tears streaming down her face were ones of pure joy at this point. Everyone in the gym was focused on the two of them as they embraced and kissed.

Nobody noticed two students sneaking out the back door.

* * *

"Everything set?" the deep accented voice of a man asked in the alley behind the school.

"It's all going according to plan," Rivkin replied.

"Yep," Jeanne replied, stepping up beside the Israeli. "Fire a single shot and David will be yours."

"DiNozzo is away from her, correct?"

"Yes. He's a nominee for homecoming king. Ziva bowed out right before the dance. He has to be up on the stage."

"Good. The second that they announce the king and queen, you may fire," Rivkin addressed the Somalian man. He nodded, checking his gun.

"Almost time," Jeanne whispered. "It's a pity that you accidentally killed Michelle, Saleem. She would have been much better off with that Palmer kid. Poor Breena's pretending to like him so she doesn't hurt his feelings. She's too much of a good girl."

* * *

"Now," Agent Hunter began, "it is time to choose our Homecoming King and Queen. Let's start with the ladies, shall we? Our nominees are: Breena Slater, Kensi Blye, Caitlin Todd, and Kelly Gibbs."

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"Let me just take a moment to congratulate Miss Slater on what happened earlier this evening," Hunter added. "It was quite a show."

The crowd went wild once again, and Breena blushed.

"I love you, Bree!" Jimmy called out. The students all squealed at the cuteness of it.

"I love you, too," she replied with a blown kiss. Kensi smiled and nudged her playfully.

"Okay. Here we go. And the winner is—" The crowd held their breath as Hunter opened the envelope. "—Kensi Blye!"

Cheering ensued. The other female candidates hugged her in congratulations, letting her go to the center of the stage. She took a seat on the "throne", which was actually a folding chair with balloons and streamers hanging from it. Hunter placed the crown on her head and Kensi waved happily at everyone from her chair.

"Okay, everyone, calm down, calm down," Hunter persuaded them. "Now, let's introduce the male nominees: Anthony DiNozzo Jr., Marty Deeks, Ari Haswari, Paul McCadden, and Brent Langer."

The seniors cheered again.

"And now, the moment has arrived… The 2012 Jefferson High Homecoming King is…" A few football players in the crowd started a drumroll with their hands on the tables. "…Marty Deeks!"

There was an uproar of excited shouts and wolf-whistles. Deeks was crowned, and just before the cheers died down, a gunshot sounded.

The window in a corner of the gym shattered.

"Get down!" Franks yelled. Gibbs found his daughter and got her to the floor. Tony managed to do the same with Kate, who had made it to his side as Deeks had been crowned. Many of the kids had done the same, pulling their dates to the floor with them.

Jenny, Franks, Hunter, Hetty, Pacci, and Vance all headed out the direction of the shot, trying to locate the shooter. Kort, Granger, Fornell, Borin, Meyers, and Sterling all headed out front.

"The area's clear – no sign of Saleem or any of his men," the agents declared, returning to a group of panicky seniors.

"Quiet down," Vance commanded, taking the stage. "There are thirteen armed federal agents in this room for your protection. We have to take a head count."

"That will not be necessary, Agent Vance," came a voice from the back of the gym. Vance looked back to see that it was Haswari, who had taken to his feet. "They already got what they want."

"Ziva…" Tony gasped, looking around the room. Amongst the entire mass of teens, he could tell that she was gone.

* * *

**Whoa, I've been liking the cliff-hangers recently. I'm sorry if you feel personally victimized by this. Leave a review for a preview into the next chapter! I promise I'll make it worth your while! And if you don't want a preview and you just feel like reviewing (also extremely acceptable) feel free to tell me! Thanks so much for being so supportive. Love you.**

**-Bridge**


End file.
